Kinship Care Fact Sheet

Ten Ways to Say Thank You to

Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children

Did you know that more than one in 12 American children are living in homes headed by grandparents and other relatives? In many of these homes, “kinship caregivers” are raising the children by themselves, with little outside support. Some of these grandparents thought their days of raising children were over long ago. Now, suddenly, they find themselves changing diapers and helping children with homework all over again.

It’s hard for any family to raise children, but it can be especially hard for grandparents and other relative caregivers. The may be older individuals with health problems of their own. The children they are bringing up may have special needs. It’s exhausting and expensive to raise grandchildren, but these “silent saviors” say they wouldn’t have it any other way. By raising their grandchildren, they are raising the community’s children. It’s a labor of love.

By giving just an hour or two of your time, you can say “thank you” to one of the many kinship care families in your community:

Run errands or help around the house

Offer to baby-sit

Give the family a night out or a meal in

Tell them how much you appreciate them

Volunteer your talents and professional services

Drop by their house with a surprise

Go with them to important appointments

Provide transportation for kinship care families

Invite them to events with their children

Be a sounding board

Excerpted from the Kinship care resource kit of the Children’s Defense Fund

To access the entire resource kit, copy and paste the following into your web browser: